Fastener particularly for ski or mountaineering boots

ABSTRACT

Fasteners for boots have a clip overlapping one of the side parts of the boot and engageable with a rack that is secured to the other side part of the boot, the rack being moveable across the tongue portion of the boot by turning of a gear mating with the rack to bring the engaged clip into a boot tightening position. The fasteners are particularly useful for ski and mountaineering boots.

United States Patent Graup 1 July 25, 1972 {s41 FASTENER PARTICULARLY FOR SKI 3,182,366 5/1965 Teufel ..24/68 s1 0R MOUNTAINEERING BOOTS 83.087 10/1868 310,428 1/1885 [721 z g g g'f 351.287 2/1887 Nolte ..24/68 SK [221 Filed: Sept. 21, 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [2|] pp No: 73 77 456,396 7/]968 Switzerland ..24/68 SK Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak [30] m" Appucdm Attorney-Kemon, Palmer 8/. Estabrook Oct. 3, 1969 9361/69 [57] ABSTRACT 'i 38 Fasteners for boots have a clip overlapping one of the side 276 L parts ofthe boot and engageable with a rack that is secured to Fkld m .26/19 618 2s4/ the other side part ofthe boot, the rack being moveable across the tongue portion of the boot by turning of a gear mating with the rack to bring the engaged clip into a boot tightening posi- References CM tion. The fasteners are particularly useful for ski and moun- UNITED STATES PATENTS taineerins boots- 3,214,809 1 1/1965 Edwards ..24/274 WB 3 Cllirm, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJULZSIWZ 3.678.539

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INVENTOR Jam? G l f BY ATTORNEY FASTENER PARTICULARLY FOR SKI OR MOUNTAINEERING BOOTS The subject of the invention is a fastener particularly for ski or mountaineering boots, wherein a clip secured to one side part of the boot and overlapping the gap between both side parts is adapted to engage in a tightening element on the othe side part of the boot.

Tightening fasteners for heavy boots, particularly for ski 9r mountaineering boots have been more and more successful in the last few years. Although said tightening fasteners are an essential improvement they are frequency not fully satisfactory. primarily due to the fact that many additions are necessary to reduce the pressure on the instep occurring after fastening of the buckles. As buckle fasteners have an average distance of about 7 mm from tooth to tooth, additional fine adjustments (eccentrics) are necessary in order to obtain the desired, more precise adaption of the boot to the foot. It is moreover considered a shortcoming that the buckles remain closed only under tension. In loosened condition, when the foot should relax, the buckles and the clips dange uncontrolled on the boot. In this condition the foot does not have, as would be desirable, at least a minimum support in the boot when the wearer walks. According to the great changes in making boots (see plastic boots, injected or moulded surfaces or parts) the type of fastener should also be adapted to the foot, since a moulded plastic part adapted to the foot does not require the wide overlapping and since the shape of the boot is determined by the injection mould, the tightening distance thus being shorter. The object of the invention is to eliminate all the above-cited shortcomings and to obtain a fastener which is easy to handle but still warrants quick and safe fastening.

The novelty of the invention is particularly characterized in that no pressure whatsoever can occur in direction of the foot, the tension being exerted in longitudinal direction of the fastener and thus more or less parallel to the arch of the instep of the wearer. For this reason such a fastener grants a more reliable support, the forces resulting from normal tension having a direction which cannot cause any opening of the fastener. A fastener according to the invention is similar to a lace, which does not perform any pressure on the wearer's instep either.

A boot fastener according to the invention is primarily characterized in that its tightening element consists of a rackand and pinion-gear having a gear and a rack being in operative connection whereby the rack is movable cross to the instep of the wearer by turning the gear, whereby the clip being engaged in the rack is brought in tightening position.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in that the rack is slidably secured in longitudinal direction between a base plate and a cover plate, whereby the gear that is mounted on a king pin between the base plate and the cover plate and is slidable in axial direction is adapted to be engaged in an opening in the cover plate corresponding to said gear.

Between the base plate and the gear a spring is preferably provided, fixing the gear in an opening of the cover plate. This spring is, according to the invention, simply designed as a flat spring slipped on the king pin.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in that the rack is developed as a slightly arched plate, fitting in a corresponding recess of the cover plate, whereby the teeth of the rack are provided on the edge of a recess in said rack. Such a fastener cannot exert any pressure on the foot of the wearer, the tension exerted, when the fastener is tightened, running parallel to the arch of the instep.

At its end projecting from the cover plate the rack preferably has several bores in which a pivot pin of the clip is adapted to be engaged. This already enables a rough adjustment of the span width, as the clip with its pin can be set in the hole required in each case. The final tension is effected by turning the gear which moves the rack together with the clip secured to it and which ensures, corresponding to the distance of the teeth between the rack and the gear, an almost uninterrupted continuity of adjusting possibilities.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings without however being limited to this possible embodiment. Neither should the reference numbers of the enclosed claims imply any restrictions; they are only meant to facilitate location of the parts referred to in the Figures of the drawings.

FIG. I shows a complete fastener according to the invention in closed condition on the boot,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of such a fastener,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views according to lines III-IV of FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 illustrates the tightening device of the fastener disassembled in its individual parts.

FIG. I shows a boot having a gap C between both side parts A B and the tongue of the boot being arranged behind said gap.

On each of the side parts the tightening element 1 or the clip 4 to be engaged in said tightening element is fixed by riveting or any other known method. The tightening element I according to the invention consists of a base plate 5 and a cover plate 6 disposed above said base plate, a rack being slidably provided in longitudinal direction between them. The base plate 5 and the cover plate 6, resp. are provided with recesses 10 and I5, together forming a guide for the rack 2.

In the rack 2 a slotted recess II is provided in which a row of teeth is secured at one side, mating with a gear 3, said gear being mounted on a king pin 7. This king pin 7 is slidably mounted between the base plate 5 and the cover plate 6 in such manner that said king pin engages, if lifted, in an opening 8 exactly corresponding to the gear 3; if, however, said king pin is pressed downward, it is freely movable with its gear 3, under the cover plate 6, whereby it shifts the rack 2 mating with it in longitudinal direction.

On its end projecting from the housing the rack 2 is provided with bores I2 which are adapted to engage a pivot pin I3 of the clip 4. In order to keep the gear 3, when inoperative, in upper position, that is to say, engaged in the opening 8, a slightly arched flat spring 9 is provided in the recess I0 of the base plate 5, adjacent to the gear 3 with the top part of the spring 9 pressing against the base of the gear 3. To turn the king pin 7 and the gear 3, a lever I4 is provided on the top end of the king pin. The lever I4 consists of a pair of tongues that may be turned down (see FIG. 3) when not in use so as to reduce inconvenient protrusions from the fastener.

The function of the fastener according to the invention is very simple to that there will hardly occur any trouble. When the king pin 7 is pushed out of the engaging opening 8 in the cover plate 6 against the effect of the spring 9 by pressing down the lever I4, said king pin can be turned so that it moves the rack 2 and tightens the clip 4, previously fastened in the bores I2 with its pin I3.

When the pressure decreases, the rack 2 with its gear 3 returns to the initial position, the gear 3 snapping into the engaging opening 8 in the cover plate 6. It is evident that it is up to the wearer to choose the tension he wants by turning more or less tightly the king pin 7.

When a tight fit of the boot is necessary, e.g. during skiing, the wearer can increase the tension, whereas he can loosen the tension accordingly when walking or going uphill with the ski on the boot. This has not been possible up to now with any known tightening fastener and represents an essential advantage in addition to the above cited advantages of the fastener according to the invention.

It is obvious that the described embodiment of the invention may be modified in several respects without the fundamental thought of the invention having to be abandoned. A transmission gearing consisting of several gears could for example be used as well in order to make fastening even easier. All these alternatives should be covered by the scope of protection.

What I claim is:

I. A fastener for ski and mountaineering boots that provides for quick adjustment of the degree of tightening of the boot upon the foot of a wearer which comprises a rack and pinion gear, a base plate, a cover plate, recesses in said plates forming a guide in which said rack reciprocates, said gear being move- 2. The fastener of claim I. wherein said lever eompriaea a pair of tongue: that may be moved from a position perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofaaid rack for rotation of said pin and gear to a position parallei to said axis for reducing protrusions on the fastener.

3. The fastener of claim I wherein the teeth ofsaid rack are arranged on one edge ofa slot in the rack through which said gear projects O Q O 

1. A fastener for ski and mountaineering boots that provides for quick adjustment of the degree of tightening of the boot upon the foot of a wearer which comprises a rack and pinion gear, a base plate, a cover plate, recesses in said plates forming a guide in which said rack reciprocates, said gear being moveable transverse to the longitudinal axis of said rack, an opening in said cover plate that mates with said gear, a leaf spring compressed between said base plate and said gear biasing said gear for projection into said opening in the cover plate, said gear being carried upon and rotatable with a king pin that is journaled at one end in said base plate, the other end of said king pin bearing a lever by which said pin and gear may be rotated for tightening or loosening of the boot to which the fastener is attached.
 2. The fastener of claim 1, wherein said lever comprises a pair of tongues that may be moved from a position perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said rack for rotation of said pin and gear to a position parallel to said axis for reducing protrusions on the fastener.
 3. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the teeth of said rack are arranged on one edge of a slot in the rack through which said gear projects. 